Recently I joined a women's backpacking trip from our church. Last weekend we went out on our first trip, and I took Felicity and Caitlyn with me. It was an awesome way to spend some good times with my girls, while experiencing and exploring God's amazing creation.
We hiked in almost 2 miles on the Brookside McGurty trail, there it connected with the Colorado Trail. We camped one night, and then did some exploring the next day before packing out again.
It was a great introduction to backpacking for the girls. It was not to long, but defiantly a challenge. I absolutely love it that I am getting to instill a craving for adventure in my girls. I believe that God has put that sense in every girl, and He wants us to experience Him in the middle of it. I can't think of a better way to encounter Jesus than to emerge yourself in nature.
There is nothing quite like watching the sun rise over the Rockies, or seeing the majestic peaks point to heaven.
Yes, this is proof enough to me that there is an amazing creator of all things. What's is even more amazing is that He loves me, and of all the wonderful things He has made, he actually delights in me. It is a both humbling and overwhelming emotion for me to process.
What a privilege it is that I get to live in this beautiful place, and even more so that I get to share these wonderful experiences with my family!
This past Mother's Day Felicity and I participated in a 9k in Boulder,CO. It was a great way to celebrate the day and spend time with my most favorite people ever, Hubby and my kiddos.
I have not run since high school track. Which I might add I did for only one year and was no good at. I have never enjoyed running. I have always thought that it was too much work and people were semi-crazy to just do it for fun.
So you might ask what possessed me to do a 9 almost 10 k?(That is 6.2miles) I'm still kinda asking myself that question. However the results have been worth any temporary insanity that I may or may not have experienced.
I found out about it through Tami a wonderful new friend that we have made here. She and her husband Jeff lead our weekly life group up in Evergreen, CO.
She put out an invite to anyone who might want to do it with her. So me being a spontaneous girl, I said why not! I gave little thought to the fact that I would have 3 short weeks to go from sure I know what 9k stands for to participating in one. What training would look like or that my 11 year old would want to jump on the band wagon and do it with me.
I started jogging in the evenings and quickly remembered why I thought all those other people I saw running around in their spandex were mildly disturbed. I was now one of them. (Minus the spandex)
Over the few short weeks before the big day I thought I was going to die. No really. Especially after I went with Tami and some other wonderful ladies from our life group to run stairs at Red Rocks amphitheater. I had never been there before. So while most people think of it as a place to relax, enjoy some good music, and have a good time. I see it as a place where crazies go to torture themselves for fun. Again, yes I am now one of them. How did this happen? Still wondering. I know I am.
Even though every time I ran or did cross training I was in much discomfort, I began to slowly realize that I was doing it! I was running, and getting stronger and stronger. I was overcoming something that just weeks before I thought I could never accomplish.
I mentioned before that I had done high school track and had not done well in it. That is really an understatement. I was terrible at it. In our small school anyone who went out for a sport made it. I wanted to do track because some of my friends did. I went out for it, made it, and really stunk at it. There is a level of humiliation that goes with being the worst at something. When you're young and trying to find out who you are, it can give you really wrong ideas about who you are.
These wrong ideas can be the devils tools to lie to us. It is the devils job to lie to us about who God made us to be. He is really good at his job. The thing is no matter how good he is at it, we still don't have to believe him. In fact, it is a very destructive thing when we do. It holds us back from all that God has for us. This is what I am learning right now.
One of the things that God had been working out in myself for some time is the fear of failing. It is a gripping fear that I have had for a long time. There have been many things that I have not done things because I was so afraid to fail, afraid to disappoint, afraid that I would not be good enough. These are nothing but the devils lies, and I no longer believe them.
These past few months God has been putting some of those things back in my heart. Things that I have given up on because I was too afraid to try and possibly fail. What I am now choosing to believe is that my accomplishments or failures don't define me. They do not change who God created me to be, or make Him love me any less.
On May 8th 2011, Felicity and I completed a 9.6k together. If was a great experience. I didn't realize at the time that God was using a possible moment of insanity to bring me closed to Him and show me what He has for me.
I know there is more to this journey. I am looking forward to what amazing things are ahead.
It has been five weeks since my last post. This was not because I has nothing to say. I switched my internet and could no longer access blogger. So now I have switched back and all is right in the world again.
A lot has happened in five weeks. I have been continuing to learn to put my trust in God. In a manner of ways you could say that things are just not working out for us right now. At least from our perspective. Several options we thought we had have fallen through.
However I know that the Word of God says that "All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose." This is my verse right now. I know God is working things together for my own good from His perspective not mine.
As I have been meditating this verse, I have been asking myself, do I show my love for God daily. How am I actively doing that? I know that I am called according to His purpose, but am I embracing it, fulfilling it?
I know I want to be. I believe God is showing me how to and giving me opportunities to grow in Him.
Right now life is a little uncertain and a little uncomfortable. But I know that God has it all in His hands, and things are going to work out according to His plan and purpose!
As most of you may already know, we have working on our fixer upper house that we bought almost four years ago ever since we got it. We knew when we got it that it would be a lot of work, but really we had no idea how much until we dug into it.
When we made our move to Denver this past spring it really posed a problem that it was so far from finished. As that made it impossible for us to get it on the market or even rent it out in its current state.
This past week we made a trip back home and worked our legs off trying to get it ready to rent out over the winter. We got a ton accomplished, however it is going to take one more trip to get it where we need to. I will post some pictures when we have a finished product.
I find that God very much uses the physical situations in our lives to teach us valuable spiritual lessons. This house has been an ongoing project for us and very trying at times.
When we first looked at the house it was far from what I wanted, but I saw the potential of what it could be. I know when God looks at me He does not see me for all my faults, but for who He created me to be. This is an ongoing lesson that I am learning.
When we first began construction I really thought that we would get it accomplished soon and everything would be how I wanted it on my timetable. Again, not even close!
As we dug into each project more and more problems appeared. I mean major, expensive, not easy to fix problems. In the same way I know that God is constantly working on me. I am consistently becoming the girl he has called me to be, this is no quick easy job either.
As much as would love to be instant super Christian, wife, mom, fill in the blank here. This is not reality. It takes time to create a masterpiece, a real work of art. And as we walk through life, things surface that we have to deal with. Some of them are ugly, and painful. Just like all of the surprise problems we found in our home, we each have "stuff" to work out in ourselves.
I am finding that working through this stuff is not very fun, but it totally necessary if I am to become who God created me to be, and to accomplish what He has for me to do.
I am on a journey to discover all that He is and all that I can be in Him. I know that it will not be quick or easy. I only know that it will be worth it!
